With starting catcher Gary Sanchez missing considerable time due to a groin injury, Romine came to the plate a career-high 265 times in 2018 and performed adequately, posting career highs in all three triple-slash categories (.244/.295/.417) en route to a respectable 91 wRC+. He chipped in 10 home runs, more than doubling his career total. Now 30 years old, there's little reason to believe he'll take another step forward and be anything more than the career backup he's been thus far, but he should have his roster spot locked up and could again receive a decent share of playing time should Sanchez's injury problems continue. Read Past Outlooks

ANALYSISThough he finds himself in the lineup for the second time in three days, Romine is still handling one of the lighter workloads among backup catchers while Gary Sanchez continues to dominate the playing time behind the dish. The spotty action probably hasn't helped Romine's performance at the plate, as he's recorded only three hits in 33 at-bats over his last 10 contests.

This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against this season's data (min 100 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

BB/K

Walk to strikeout ratio

BB Rate

The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.

K Rate

The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.

BABIP

Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.

On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.

SLG

Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.

OPS

On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

wOBA

Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.

Exit Velocity

The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.

Hard Hit Rate

A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.

Barrels/PA

The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.

Erik Siegrist checks out the waiver options in the American League and thinks it's worth chasing after a possible breakout season from Daniel Vogelbach.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

Romine may be running out of chances -- he has a negative-1.6 fWAR through 219 career games and zero seasons with a positive mark. He logged a career-high 252 plate appearances last season and his performance at the dish was well below league average (49 wRC+) as Romine did nothing particularly well with the bat. While he did lift his walk rate, it was still modest at 6.3 percent, and he struck out more (22.6 percent) and hit for almost no power in his age-28 season. Romine managed just four extra-base hits (all doubles) in 144 plate appearances away from Yankee Stadium, resulting in the second-lowest slugging percentage among 49 catchers with at least 200 plate appearances. The Yankees tendered Romine a contract for 2018, so he should be back to help out behind Gary Sanchez although it's not out of the question that the team could swap him out with Erik Kratz if he struggles in the spring.

Romine beat out Gary Sanchez in spring training to win the No. 2 catcher job to open the year and the 28-year-old remained in a backup capacity for the duration of the season. However, Sanchez, who didn't see any action until August, exploded when given the chance and quickly seized the spot atop the catching depth chart. With Brian McCann traded to Houston, Romine figures to open the year as the backup catcher once again in the Bronx, but his career 54 wRC+ (100 is an average big league hitter) serves as a nice reminder that there is not much to see here from a fantasy perspective.

Romine lost the spring training battle with John Ryan Murphy for the backup catcher role, and ended up serving as the primary catcher with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a result. He projects to be a stronger defensive player than a reliable option at the plate, a forecast that held true again this season as he hit .260 with seven home runs in the minors. Even with the offseason trade of John Ryan Murphy, it is a little difficult to see where Romine fits into the long term future, with Brian McCann locked in for the next three seasons and prospect Gary Sanchez finally starting to make his way up the organization's depth chart. He’ll likely compete with Sanchez for the backup job in spring training, but at 27 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll see substantial time in the majors if he loses out on that battle.

Romine hit just .179/.258/.179 during Grapefruit League play and lost the competition for the backup job to Francisco Cervelli, but got the call up less than a week into the season with the team seeking the flexibility to use Cervelli and Brian McCann occasionally at first base after Mark Teixeira went down. His stay with the big club was short-lived, however, as Romine went sent back down just days later. Cervelli got hurt shortly thereafter, but rather than bring Romine back, the Yankees promoted John Ryan Murphy and left Romine down for his first extended run at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Romine did not fare well, hitting just .242/.300/.365 with six homers in 81 games, and he rarely saw opportunities during his other stints with the major league team. A second-round pick in 2007, he is still just 26 and has displayed a decent eye and quality receiving skills in the minors. Further, with Cervelli shipped to Pittsburgh in the offseason, the door is open for Romine to again compete for the backup job. However, his fantasy upside is marginal as Murphy and particularly Gary Sanchez project as more valuable options.

Romine finally got a shot at major league playing time in 2013, and while he got off to a putrid start at the plate, he seemed to find his form as time went on, putting up a 16-for-42 stretch at one point. The 25-year-old could continue to develop double-digit power at the plate, and while he'll never be a superstar, his batting eye and decent receiving skills could enable him to contribute to a major league team for quite a while. With the Yankees, those contributions will have to come in a backup role following the addition of Brian McCann in free agency.

Romine missed much of last season with a back injury, which stalled his development toward becoming the Yankees' catcher of the future. Romine has a good arm behind the plate, and projects to develop mid-teens power with a decent average. Romine is likely not quite ready to step into the full-time job, so we may see the Yankees try to get a veteran on a short-term deal so Romine can continue to develop in the minors. Romine won't be a superstar, but he could be a slightly above average starting catcher for years to come.

Romine has the skills to be at least an average major league catcher as he hit .286 for Double-A Trenton in 2011, and scouts forecast him to develop low double-digit power. With the trade of Jesus Montero to Seattle, Romine has an easier path to playing time. However, Gary Sanchez isn't too far behind Romine in the system. Don't count on a huge offensive breakout if he secures a major league role with the Yankees or if he's traded elsewhere, but Romine should hit enough to be a decent fantasy starter for 2013 and beyond.

Romine had a strong start to 2010, but a second-half slide dropped his final line to .268/.324/.402 at Double-A Trenton. As a hitter, he's well behind Jesus Montero, but scouts think he'll still have average power, and he's the better defender of the two. However, he's stuck in a holding pattern until the Yankees decide how to handle their abundance of riches. Montero is more likely to get the first look with the big club, and if he's able to hold his own, Romine may get stuck at Triple-A as potential trade bait. But if Montero falters and needs to switch positions (or gets traded himself), Romine will assume the "catcher of the future" mantle.

Romine spent last year with High-A Tampa, hitting .276/.322/.441 while smacking 13 homers in 442 at-bats. As one of two highly touted catchers in the Yankees’ system, Romine lags behind Jesus Montero in terms of offensive production, though some scouts believe he has enough power potential to be a 20- to 25-homer threat in the majors. Defensively, Romine has the edge thanks to his strong throwing arm, though he is still a work in progress with his footwork. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees handle their two young prospects in 2011 (the final year of Jorge Posada’s contract) and beyond, but for now Romine will continue to hone his skills at Double-A Trenton.

Although he'll likely be competing with Jesus Montero for the organization's catcher of the future tag, Romine has plenty of upside with his bat despite shaky defensive skills behind the plate. Montero was more productive when the duo spent 2008 at Low-A Charleston, but Romine isn't far behind and he could ultimately become the better prospect if he responds well efforts to improve his defense. He's still a few years away from a big league debut, while Romine figures to spend most of 2009 at High-A Tampa.

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Back to reserve role

CNew York Yankees

April 25, 2019

Romine wasn't used off the bench Wednesday in the Yankees' 6-5 win over the Angels.